Hunter K’s heartfelt letter to Richard

Hunter K’s heartfelt letter to Richard

I am sorry to directly go against what seems to be specific instructions not to message this email unless it is business related, but my futile attempts at finding an email at which to reach you at have bested me; I hope whoever reads this would do me the kind favor of passing this on to Richard as I am in his debt.

Let me start this off by saying that I am 18 and my name is Hunter, I grew up in literally the most average of domiciles but the important detail is everyone in my house (Brother,Sister, and Mother) are all religious/believe in a god. All of my friends and school mates had also adopted some god. I remember in the 7th grade (a year of intense bullying) my language arts class had jumped on the subject of religion and I was the only atheist in the room. The most popular kid in the class replied with, “You don’t believe in god?!?” and I was alienated, I felt outcasted by society. I knew at a relatively young age (13-14) that something was not right in my schooling. I was shamed and urged to keep my mouth shut almost everyday of middle school in science class because I was genuinely curious about what we were being taught, but nobody else cared. This pattern kept on into high school, so much so that I started to doubt the evidence in front of me. I began to live my life thinking that an omnipotent, omniscient being was watching my every move and I took every coincidence as a sign from “god”. My life became confusing and I filled with depression, with a constant uncertainty with everything around me. Around halfway through my freshman year I found Philosophy, this gave me new found hope and sparked what is now a violent flame of passion to understand the world around me. I began understanding the self and reason, with the tools of reason I could now defend myself from superstition. But… there was always that uncertainty, the chance that there really could be a god. I had always known your name, Richard, but I had no idea as to who you were, only to come to realize that you’re a renown biologist of sorts. I found your book “The god delusion” in Barnes and nobles and I thought “why not” and bought it that day and began reading.

Never in my entire life have I ever read such a compelling book as this, to think that a book could change my life the way this has. I am forever in your debt for my life has become pure and with purpose again. I share these inner thoughts of mine with you because you helped connect the dots for me, Richard. I have never seen such impervious logic, such an elegant display of education. Rejoice, for you are curing the world of sickness, the enemies of reason. Thank you for all your contributions and hard work, thank you for your brilliance Mr. Dawkins.

PS: I made a Twitter so that I may follow your thoughts and I see that you have recently gone through some health issues and although this does nothing, I hope you make a full recovery.

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3 COMMENTS

I’m sorry to say that I unfortunately am not Mr. Dawkins, nor do I have I found some way to contact him. I find your story very interesting and rather personal, as I can relate to parts of it. I grew up in a rather agnostic family, but I wasn’t presented with atheism until I went looking for any sort of evidence of god’s existence. Needless to say, I didn’t find any evidence of his existence so I was left having no idea what to think. At the time, my close friends were religious, as so with many other people I knew. I was very young at this age so I wasn’t aware of other alternatives to gods, and there was no evidence of god so I began to stop trusting my friends and other people who have previously convinced me that god was real. This continued for what felt like a long time until I came to high school, when I took it to another level. I wasn’t sure anything existed, excluding myself, because nobody could provide valid proof that they existed, but I, however, must exist to contemplate existence. By that time I had adapted a kind of nihilistic mindset not trusting anyone, including my own family. I saw no point in living so I thought, crazy as it may seem now, that my primary goal and purpose was to destroy. Destroy and tear down what other had put effort into. Needless to say, this cause the few friends I had to (rightfully) abandon me, more hopeless than ever.
Not long after that, about the next year actually, I found Richard’s books “The Selfish Gene” and “The God Delusion” in a local bookshop. It’s so very hard to explain, but they really sparked my interest in a very unfamiliar way, to a point when I actually bought them both. I read them quickly and sat in my room for hours in complete silence. I was baffled by the way he used his words in a rather humerus way whilst still referring to a substantial amount of evidence proving his point. I then spent a long time thinking of why I became who I was, and for what ridiculous reason?
I started to watch youtube videos with Richard debating with religious people and I couldn’t get enough of it. I was happy. I am happy. I too am very grateful to Richard. My story might not be as exhilarating as yours, but I appreciate you and I am also forever grateful and in debt to Richard.

The problem with Religion is simple. We humans have always looked to others for the answers to life, God, Religion, beliefs, creation, the universe, purpose and ultimately the meaning of life. When in all reality Richard Dawkins has no more insight or information in regards to how scientifically speaking “we” as in humans got here, and came into existence. Nor does a pastor, priest, or any other church going member. No one on this earth can give you those answers. Sure a atheists is going to argue, and debate saying there is No God, or supreme deity that created the heavens, earth, and entire universe. However, that person the atheist is actually being a hypocrite. For starters he or she the atheist we are speaking about is denying the very thing, being, “God” the existence of God by saying there is No God, the atheist is ultimately acknowledging and recognizing the fact of God’s existence. If there is No God well there is no need to prove or disprove God’s existence. By acknowledging God saying there is No God is giving recognition to a God. It’s basically pointless arguments. And circle talk that leads to nowhere. For instance, we could argue or debate on the color of the sky. For you, well you might see blue and I might see orange with a slight reflect from the sun making the sky a blueish orange color. Since you and I see the color of the sky in different colors does that mean the sky does not exist? We all recognize God in many different ways and spend our entire life’s struggling with the questions. Does God exists? Richard Dawkins is a perfect example of a man who not only recognizes God by saying and spreading his world view that God simply does not exist. Richard, sees the same sky that you and I see he just sees a different color, and is only a matter of opinion. Not fact, no scientific fact simply opinions based on his own perspective of life. For any human being to deny God that individual is being ignorant, arrogant and ultimately deceived by his or hers own misconception that the fact of the matter is this….. The possibilities of God, a omnipotent, omniscient, supreme being might possibly exist are actually endlessly infinite. Take into consideration heck you and I are here correct? We exist, ” I think therefore I am ” And the next time you are outdoors (outside), just take a good hard look around and you will realize how small we truly are in this universe. The possibilities of God’s existence are endless my friends. Take care, and God Bless. Rather you believe or not the bottom line is we are all here together on earth and love, respect and trust is what we need to find in ourselves first before we can ever truly experience God!

The problem with Religion is simple. We humans have always looked to others for the answers to life, God, Religion, beliefs, creation, the universe, purpose and ultimately the meaning of life.

Indeed the history of humanity is littered with thousands of diverse and contradictory god-claims. Beliefs in such superstitions are based on trying to fill in gaps in knowledge and cover up the ignorance of the believers.

When in all reality Richard Dawkins has no more insight or information in regards to how scientifically speaking “we” as in humans got here, and came into existence.

Actually the biologists, palaeontologists, geologists and astronomers, have a great deal, but nevertheless incomplete knowledge, of how humans evolved on this planet, and indeed how the planet itself evolved.

Nor does a pastor, priest, or any other church going member. No one on this earth can give you those answers.

Only those who have studied the science will have any evidence based understanding of the billions of years of history.
The rest will have the pseudo-knowledge gap-filler of “god-did-it-by-mysterious-magic”.

Sure a atheists is going to argue, and debate saying there is No God, or supreme deity that created the heavens, earth, and entire universe.

. . . while theists argue and go to war about which god is the correct one – usually claiming their own is a “default-god”, and everyone else’s gods are false!

However, that person the atheist is actually being a hypocrite. For starters he or she the atheist we are speaking about is denying the very thing, being, “God” the existence of God by saying there is No God,

Atheists only need to dispute particular gods, when believers cite those gods and their dogmas, as a basis for actions which affect atheists and others in the community. If theists kept their gods to themselves there would be no problem for others, but god-delusions have a habit of persistently motivating their followers, into intruding into other people’s lives.

Atheist’s recognise there is no evidence for the activity of gods in the universe. It is an error to ASSUME that there is some default god, and that atheists are in denial of someone’s special personal pet god-delusion. Atheists simple recognise that all gods are imagined delusions.

the atheist is ultimately acknowledging and recognizing the fact of God’s existence.

Modern atheists recognise the existence of god-delusions in believer’s brains, but the onus of proof is on believers asserting the material existence of Thor, Huitzilopochtli, Viracocha, Vishnu, Yahweh and his wife Asherah etc. – rather than there being any requirement for everyone else to DISprove their existence.

If there is No God well there is no need to prove or disprove God’s existence. By acknowledging God saying there is No God is giving recognition to a God.

If there is No Tooth Fairy well there is no need to prove or disprove the Tooth Fairy’s existence. By acknowledging the Tooth Fairy saying there is No Tooth fairy is giving recognition to a Tooth Fairy.

Perhaps that modification will help you understand the circularity of your thinking from preconceptions.